Energy

Frustrated Alberta students, faculty protest education cuts

Students told to expect significantly fewer classes due to cuts

Students for Mount Royal University rally outside Alison Redford’s nearby constituency office Wednesday mooring to protest looming cuts to university budgets.

Photograph by: Ted Rhodes Ted Rhodes
, Calgary Herald

Post-secondary students and teachers are ramping up protests to budget cuts across the province, as fall registration approaches amid growing fears of program cuts, larger classrooms and higher instructional fees.

More than 300 students and faculty from Mount Royal University came together Wednesday to protest post-secondary cuts introduced in this spring’s budget, taking the rally to Premier Alison Redford’s Calgary-Elbow constituency office near their campus.

At the same time, students from the University of Lethbridge travelled by bus to Edmonton to join a post-secondary protest at the Alberta legislature.

“We’re all concerned, about accessibility, affordability and the quality of education as a result of the cuts,” said Julia Adolf, vice-president academic with the U of L student’s union.

“Students are not happy, and even while we’ve been told tuition will be frozen, we’ll see an impact on non-mandatory fees. Those could go up anytime.”

The group rallied peacefully but vocally, chanting slogans such as, “Cuts, job losses? Money for the bosses!”

Gerry Cross, president of the MRU Faculty Association and a computer science instructor for more than 30 years, said he was impressed with the numbers Wednesday as students and faculty showed solidarity in their outrage over planned cuts to programs and classes.

“We wouldn’t be here without our students,” Cross said before the group’s march to Redford’s office.

“My department has already met this week, and I’m sure there will be cuts to classes. We’re all very concerned.”

Students at MRU have been told they can’t register for fall classes until April 29 when the timetable is finalized.

Faculty members feel the new timetable will offer fewer programs, and significantly fewer classes.

“Post-secondary education really matters and we have to protect it. Programs will be cut, enrolment will be limited and we’re all really scared,” said Roberta Lexier, an assistant professor with the department of general education.

“The province needs to rethink their revenue model. Why is money going to certain places and not others?”

Redford was not at her office Wednesday. She is in Washington this week touting Alberta’s environmental record and the benefits of the Keystone Pipeline.

Anthropology students Desdemon Lunz dropped off a petition with hundreds of names, demanding a meeting with the premier and education officials.

“Redford’s excuse is that oil wasn’t able to sell for what she wanted. I call that not the truth.”

MRU administrators posted a message to students online last week, saying some registration can begin by the end of the month. But others, particularly new students, may still be in a holding pattern until admission offers are finalized.

It’s expected the engineering transfer program will disappear, while the nursing program will be significantly scaled back.

Members of the provincial opposition did raise the MRU rally and provincewide concerns around budget cuts during question period in the legislative assembly Wednesday.

Advanced Education Minister Thomas Lukaszuk reinforced that the province will continue to ask post-secondary institutes to find more efficiencies that won’t affect tuition and won’t affect the quality of education.

But teachers with MRU were adamant budget cuts will have serious impacts on the quality of education.

History professor Dr. Thomas Brown fears program and course cuts, particularly in the arts, will increase the smaller class sizes MRU is well-known for.

“That’s what’s called the Mount Royal advantage. And we worry about the increase in class size, destroying what is so special about MRU.”

Meanwhile, the Association of Academic Staff of the University of Alberta wrote an open letter to Albertans on Wednesday, asking them to rally against the funding cuts.

“We ask Albertans to speak out against government infringement upon the autonomy of post-secondary institutional planning, teaching and research,” said Donna Wilson, president of AASUA.

The province announced a $147-million reduction to post-secondary operating grants in the March 7 budget, leaving universities, colleges and technical institutes around the province scrambling to make up a seven to 10 per cent cut to their funding before classes begin next fall.

While MRU has not yet finalized its timetable, U of L has released its fall classes.

But Adolf says students fear any class can still be cut anytime, in spite of registration already starting.

We encourage all readers to share their views on our articles and blog posts. We are committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion, so we ask you to avoid personal attacks, and please keep your comments relevant and respectful. If you encounter a comment that is abusive, click the "X" in the upper right corner of the comment box to report spam or abuse. We are using Facebook commenting. Visit our FAQ page for more information.

Almost Done!

Postmedia wants to improve your reading experience as well as share the best deals and promotions from our advertisers with you. The information below will be used to optimize the content and make ads across the network more relevant to you. You can always change the information you share with us by editing your profile.

By clicking "Create Account", I hearby grant permission to Postmedia to use my account information to create my account.

I also accept and agree to be bound by Postmedia's Terms and Conditions with respect to my use of the Site and I have read and understand Postmedia's Privacy Statement. I consent to the collection, use, maintenance, and disclosure of my information in accordance with the Postmedia's Privacy Policy.

Postmedia wants to improve your reading experience as well as share the best deals and promotions from our advertisers with you. The information below will be used to optimize the content and make ads across the network more relevant to you. You can always change the information you share with us by editing your profile.

By clicking "Create Account", I hearby grant permission to Postmedia to use my account information to create my account.

I also accept and agree to be bound by Postmedia's Terms and Conditions with respect to my use of the Site and I have read and understand Postmedia's Privacy Statement. I consent to the collection, use, maintenance, and disclosure of my information in accordance with the Postmedia's Privacy Policy.